2009 Darwin Awards

Named in honor of Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, the Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it.

Saw It Coming! 2009 Darwin Award Nominee Confirmed True by Darwin Darwin says, "Things are not adding up--is this a hoax, an Urban Legend? We received multiple submissions, confirmed by Associated Press news reports, but things are not adding up. Industrial saws require power, but the power was out! Besides--why would anyone take a saw to a downed electric line? This certainly will not restore power. Is this a hoax? An urban legend? The name of the deceased is not listed in the Social Security Death Database. But according to findagrave.com, Mieczyslaw Mil (note the spelling difference) was a real person, who died--not in 2009--but in 2008. Even if it's true, this is an old guy who sounds half out of his noggin. Perhaps he should be disqualified due to mental problems. Merits of this puzzling nomination are still being debated. Please read comments and concerns below the story. (27 June 2009, New York) A severe storm damaged power lines and left 17,000 homes without electricity. Mieczyskaw Mil, 64, was one of the affected parties. His power line serviced only 17 homes and therefore was one of the last to be repaired. Seven hours after the line fell, Mieczyskaw Mil finally lost his patience. The old man had been shooed away repeatedly by firefighters who were guarding the power line. "Police and firefighters literally chased him away. We did everything we could," said Dick Martinkovic, commissioner of public safety in Sullivan County. But they were not prepared for the homeowner's sudden bold move. Frustrated with waiting, Mil emerged from his home shortly after midnight with an industrial power saw in his hand and plastic bags on his feet. He stood in a puddle of water and attempted to saw through a 4800-volt feeder line that was dangling off the pole. He fell and became tangled in the hissing and buzzing live wire. While emergency responders waited for utility workers to shut down the power, Mil was busy being killed by continuous electrocution. The story says it all. He was repeatedly shooed away from the power line, but insisted on cutting it while standing in a puddle, and now is safely out of the gene pool. Thanks for doing our species a favor, Mil! ORIGINAL SUBMISSION and many others. DarwinAwards.com © 1994 - 2009 Submitted by: Nineteen submissions! Dave Albrecht , Mike, Brian Harnet, Gina C., Reference: Middletown Times Herald Recond, YWN Sullivan County News Team Vote low to DISQUALIFY, high to KEEP. Awful? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Great? Hate it! Love it!

Reader Frank Davis comments, "Suspicious. Industrial circular saws require power but the power was out. Also this name is not listed in the Social Security Death Database." Darwin thinks the story is true: she received multiple submissions. She asks for input from readers with additional confirmation -or- evidence that it's not true. Reader Jared researched this story, and things aren't adding up. "1. There is a 'Richard Martinkovic' who is a commissioner of public safety--but not in Pennsylvania; he works in Sullivan City, NY. 2. Mieczyskaw Mil WAS a real person, but he was from ridgewood, NY, which isn't in Sullivan County. 3. He died in 2008, not 2009, as evidenced by his findagrave.com page." Darwin says, "Things are not adding up for this story. But one mistake was simply mine. The news reports indicate it happened in New York, not Pennsylvania, so I changed that mistake. Now, the epitaph on findagrave.com is identical to the news reports except for a different year, so it could be just a typo. I am not aware of whether findagrave.com is stringent about facts, but its mission is to help people locate the gravesites of famous people--it's not a news source. I did notice that one media reference (newsday.com) is no longer available. However, a google News search reveals that this story was definitely posted on the AP (Associated Press) service, so it certainly has real news sources. Putting the question of its veracity aside for a moment, we cannot figure out WHY the man took a saw to the power line. This certainly is not going to restore his power. If the story is true (which is dubious) then perhaps he's just a mentally unbalanced old man. Methinks this story is not long for this world. I so much appreciate your help, Frank and Jared." -wendy

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